Diplomacy & Crisis News

Greece still faces great challenges in managing its refugee crisis, particularly if European Union countries do not step up their relocation and family reunion programmes, the head of the United Nations refugee agency said during a recent visit to the country.

Depuis le scandale de la mélamine, en 2008, les Chinois n'ont d'yeux que pour le lait importé. Dans le monde entier, on s'active pour étancher cette soif. / Chine, Agriculture, Alimentation, Animal, Relations internationales, Matières premières, Commerce - (...) / Chine, Agriculture, Alimentation, Animal, Relations internationales, Matières premières, Commerce - 2015/09

Best Defense is in summer reruns. Here is an item that originally ran on June 27, 2016.

Même dans les guerres civiles, un code subsiste pour protéger les populations : le droit international humanitaire. Bien que malmené par la « guerre contre le terrorisme », il empêche les parties d'agir totalement à leur guise face à un ennemi diabolisé. / Colombie, République démocratique du Congo, (...) / Colombie, République démocratique du Congo, Conflit, Droit international, Droits humains, Géopolitique, Guérilla, ONG, Violence, Yémen, Guerre civile, Justice internationale, Droit international humanitaire - 2015/10

The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom has condemned the killing of João Miranda do Carmo, an online journalist in Brazil, and called for an investigation into the incident.

The United Nations Security Council has warmly welcomed the conclusion of negotiations earlier this week between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia &#8211 People&#39s Army (FARC-EP), and congratulated the Colombian people in achieving a final peace agreement, bringing an end to more than 50 years of conflict.

The United Nations envoy for Liberia today stressed the need for long-term, robust engagement by stakeholders, particularly the Security Council, towards a sustainable peace in the West African country.

(Own report) - The Berlin office of an EU-wide think tank, is warning of how the "frustration over German dominance" is growing among EU member countries. Over the past ten years, the Federal Republic of Germany has become the EU's undisputed strongest power, according to a recent analysis of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). The "EU partners" must now "decide how to handle Germany's power." Some have expressed resentment; others have "centered their EU strategies around Germany," and look for "ways to influence Berlin's policy machinery." None of this leaves any doubt that "Germany's political class" continues to see the EU as "the best available framework for the articulation of its national interest." Whereas the ECFR's analysis concentrates its attention primarily on the political establishment of the other EU countries, the supplementary question to be raised in how to deal with German dominance is becoming increasingly urgent. Berlin is impelling the militarization of foreign policy as well as domestic surveillance and repression, measures, serving the preparation for war - a concern of everyone.

Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Kosovo Zahir Tanin told the United Nations Security Council today that while opposition parties in Kosovo continue to try to generate, exploit and, if possible, prolong moments of ‘crisis,’ they appear to have become aware that the use of violence is counterproductive to their objective of gaining more political influence.

Reporting that the Russian Federation is backing a 48-hour humanitarian pause in and around Aleppo, senior United Nations envoys on the Syrian crisis today said they are “waiting for others on the ground to do the same,” and are ready to green light aid convoys to the war-ravaged city once assurances are received.

The United Nations Special Adviser on Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, has expressed concern at inflammatory statements concerning the genocide in Rwanda that were made by a senior official of the ruling party in Burundi and cautioned that such statements could constitute incitement to violence.

The United Nations’ mission in Afghanistan has condemned last night’s attack on a university in the capital, Kabul, that killed 12 civilians and injured more than 50 others, mostly students.

Years of violence by Boko Haram in Africa’s Lake Chad basin, which includes Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, have led to a worsening humanitarian crisis that has displaced 1.4 million children and left at least one million still trapped in hard-to-reach areas, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a report released today.

Le blog Les Clés du Moyen-Orient, qui décrypte l’actualité au Moyen-Orient depuis 2010, a publié le 22 août dernier un long compte rendu du dossier « Moyen-Orient, le nouveau « Grand Jeu » » publié dans le numéro d’été de Politique étrangère (n°2/2016).

Analysant chacun des six articles qui constituent ce dossier, l’auteur en fait une recension élogieuse et insiste sur son caractère fondamental et indispensable pour comprendre les enjeux de la crise moyen-orientale actuelle :

« Ce numéro d’été de Politique étrangère apparaît fondamental pour comprendre les enjeux dans lesquels se trouvent impliqués les principales forces en présence : l’Iran, l’Arabie saoudite, la Turquie, mais aussi, en tout état de cause, les États-Unis ou encore la France. Avec un riche panel d’analyses approfondissant la question d’un « nouveau ‘Grand jeu’ » qui se déploierait dans la région, cet ouvrage nous offre des clés indispensable pour mieux comprendre ce qui est survenu depuis : le coup d’État manqué en Turquie et la répression qui s’en est suivie, le siège d’Alep et les bombardements russes, les attentats perpétrés ou désamorcés au Liban, dans la région de la Békaa. »

Pour lire le compte rendu en intégralité, cliquez ici.

Pour lire intégralement l’un des articles du dossier, « La Russie a-t-elle une grande stratégie au Moyen-Orient ? » de Ekaterina Stepanova, cliquez ici.

 

L'Arabie saoudite et ses alliés peinent à défaire le mouvement houthiste, qui contrôle toujours la capitale du Yémen, Sanaa. Alors que la diplomatie piétine, les dégâts occasionnés par ce conflit s'aggravent et le pays connaît d'ores et déjà un désastre humanitaire. / Arabie saoudite, Proche-Orient, (...) / Arabie saoudite, Proche-Orient, Conflit, Géopolitique, Islam, Religion, Relations internationales, Violence, Yémen, Diplomatie - 2016/03

(Own report) - German government advisors are speculating about Russia's possible foreign policy offensives and discussing countermeasures to be taken. According to a research paper published by the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Russia "has continuously developed and further diversified" its foreign policy "tool chest" over the past few years. Today it includes "enhanced military capabilities, alongside numerous 'soft' tools." like "the orchestrated disinformation campaign in traditional mass media and online social networks, the instrumentalization of ethnic minorities, use of civil society organizations, economic cooperation, or economic pressure." The research paper describes fictitious scenarios, such as Russian support for extreme right-wing parties in Western European election campaigns as well as steps to ward off Russian influence. The types of international activities being ascribed to Russia are practices long in use by NATO countries - particularly Germany.

Top General Skeptical Over Russian Deal; Kurds in New Fight; And Lots More

The courage of the men and women who in August 1791 revolted against slavery in Haiti &#8220has created obligations for us,&#8221 the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said on the day set aside for remembrance of that rebellion, noting that &#8220all of humanity is part of this story&#8221 and efforts to teach the history of the slave trade will help build a better world.

While we’re at it, let’s just pick her foreign policy team of advisers…

Moscow-linked cyberthieves aren’t just stealing and releasing emails anymore -- they’re altering them to smear one of Putin's most vocal opponents.